Gakharia’s For Georgia Seeks Separate Examination in GD’s Opposition Party Ban Case

For Georgia, an opposition party founded and led by former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, says its case to be examined separately from other opposition groups as the Constitutional Court starts to hear Georgian Dream’s lawsuit seeking to declare five opposition parties unconstitutional.

“Our political party, Gakharia for Georgia, has filed a motion with the Constitutional Court in connection with the constitutional lawsuit, requesting that the examination of our party’s constitutionality be separated into an individual case and considered independently,” Berdia Sichinava, the party’s executive secretary, said at an October 20 press briefing.

He argued that “examining the constitutionality of different political parties individually is the minimum legal obligation and standard that must be observed, at least formally.” He also challenged Georgian Dream to explain to its voters “the specific legal grounds and evidence on which it seeks to ban the country’s only parliamentary opposition party.”

For Georgia is among four political forces that passed the 5% threshold in the disputed 2024 parliamentary elections. While initially joining the remaining three in their parliamentary boycott, the party reversed the decision a year later and took up parliamentary seats.

For Georgia was not among the three forces Georgian Dream sought to outlaw in its initial constitutional lawsuit filed in October 2025, where the ruling party targeted the United National Movement (UNM), Lelo/Strong Georgia and Ahali/Coalition for Change. The lawsuit was later expanded in April 2026 to include the Federalists, and again in September to add For Georgia.

“The inclusion of the only parliamentary opposition party in the lawsuit confirms that Georgian Dream’s goal is to declare dissent unconstitutional and ultimately prohibit it,” he said, accusing the ruling party of seeking to create a controlled opposition and “the illusion of elections” in Georgia.

Sichinava called the attempt to ban For Georgia “absurd and devoid of any legal basis,” describing it as a continuation of alleged threats by Georgian Dream founder Bidzina Ivanishvili against Giorgi Gakharia, which he said had also led to physical attacks and prosecution over the Chorchana incident and the events of June 20, 2019, both stemming from Gakharia’s tenure as interior minister before he was promoted as a prime minister.

“As you can see, this was not enough to politically neutralize Giorgi Gakharia, and the implementation of that threat is now continuing through efforts to ban our political party,” Sichinava said.

He also confirmed that For Georgia would participate in the Constitutional Court proceedings to ensure that the process and those involved were documented.

Sichinava’s announcement comes ahead of the Constitutional Court’s first hearings on the lawsuit, scheduled to take place on October 21-23 in the coastal city of Batumi, where the judicial body is based.

Also Read:

• 20/10/2026 – Georgian Foreign Ministry Accuses EU Representatives of Interference After Criticism of Party Ban Proceedings
• 15/10/2026 – Backgrounder: Constitutional Court Starts Hearing Opposition Party Ban Case
• 13/10/2026 – Denied Recusal, Judge Manana Kobakhidze Quits Constitutional Court
• 08/10/2026 – EU Parliament Adopts Resolution Against Georgian Dream’s Efforts to Ban Opposition Parties
  

Follow Us